BOSSES at Airbus and the Port of Mostyn have denied suggestions the barge carrying wings for the A380 superjumbo was stranded at Flint Point.

Claims that the incident highlighted the unsuitability of the River Dee for transporting the wings were also dismissed.

The barge was ferrying the wings from Airbus's West Factory to the Port of Mostyn in preparation for shipment to France.

But, due to the low tide, the flat-bottomed boat was grounded for several hours.

Members of the crew alerted the Flint coastguard, but said they were not in any danger and were waiting for the tide to rise.

When the tide returned, the barge completed its journey and there were no further delays.

The incident threatened to overshadow the unveiling of the first A380 superjumbo in Toulouse.

During the ceremony the project's executive vice-president, Charles Champion, revealed talks were continuing to end the deadlock over access to Mostyn.

Dredging is needed to create a navigation channel for a larger Chinese ferry to ship the wings.

However, Green Party councillor Klaus Armstrong-Braun said the grounding shows the Dee is not suited to transportation, and has called for the wings to be driven by road to Liverpool.

Cllr Armstrong-Braun, an opponent of dredging, said: 'A lot of people have been left with egg on their faces.

'To spend millions of pounds on a scheme that doesn't even work, and a barge that can't even get past Flint, is ludicrous. I've said all along that the Dee is too narrow a channel.

'To say there is no other option is ridiculous. The option of taking the wings by road to Liverpool has been discussed for several years. This incident shows the only option is to go by road.'

Cllr Armstrong-Braun has demanded an apology from Welsh Secretary Peter Hain, who was last week rebuked by the Welsh Assembly for publicly stating his intention to fight the Environment Agency's ban on dredging.

But Jim O'Toole, managing director of the Port of Mostyn, refuted the claims.

'The barge was not stranded and this has absolutely nothing to do with dredging,' he said.

'The vessel was late leaving Airbus and, because of the low tide, sat on a sandbank until the tide came back in.

'The barge has been designed with low tidal windows, which means she can sit and wait on the bottom. That is why she is so low in the water and that is how she is able to get under bridges.

'You will see this again in the future, because that is precisely what she is designed to do.'

The Environment Agency has refused to allow dredging to take place because of concerns about conservation, but Airbus bosses have vowed to fight the decision.